Richard and I first met on a train from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, to Fort Dix, New Jersey, on our way to basic training. My last name started with C and so we were always near each other in lines or bunking.

We went to Fort Polk, Louisiana together for AIT training. Being that Richard lived near my hometown we went home together on leave from Fort Polk, but not before a litttle partying in New Orleans. We got our orders for Vietnam so we thought partying was in order.

Richard's sister picked us up at the airport and took us back after our leave was up. We were to report to the Oakland Army Terminal in California for deployment to Vietnam.

By now Richard and I had become friends and decided to leave for California a few days early and see San Francisco. We had a great time, especially in North Beach. We spent a week at the deployment center, just waiting for our names to be called to go.

Finally we got called and flew to Vietnam. Seeing it was an 18 hour flight, we got to talk about the uncertain future.

Once we arrived in Vietnam we spent another week in a center for assignment to a unit. At this point we went to different units in different parts of Vietnam. Two weeks later Richard was dead. I got notified by another guy in his unit who we were with at Fort Polk.

It was hard to believe that in a such a short time you could get to know someone that you didn't know before, go through the many challenges of training, celebrating the good times and difficult times and then it ends, in what seems like an instant.

I always remember Richard for his humor and light hearted look at life. I always look him up on the Wall and have since visited his gravesite in Pennsylvania. His life ended way too short.

A Note from The Virtual Wall

PFC Richard L. Davis arrived in Vietnam on 17 January 1969 and was assigned to Charlie Company, 1/52nd Infantry. On 07 Feb 1969, Americal Division units lost four men in Quang Tin Province, two to combat incidents and two in vehicular accidents 02/07/1969

An entry in the AMERICAL Division Operations Center log says that a tracked recovery vehicle was towing an M-48 tank. While going down the steep grade near the Chu Lai Post Exchange the recovery vehicle driver lost control and could not brake due to excessive weight. It collided with a 3/4 truck from 1/52nd Infantry, killing PFC Davis, and then overturned, crushing the tank commander, SGT Hurlock.

The point-of-contact for this memorial isa friend,Darrell CriswellGlendale, Arizonacris8143@cox.net